Samuel nicolson



. UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

f `SAMUEL NIcoLsoiv, or BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS. ,1

WOODEN rAvEMnNT.

Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 11,491, dated August 8, Reissued `."lfecember To all w21/0m t may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL NIcoLsoN, of

` Boston, inthe county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wooden Pavements; and I do hereby declare that the same `is fully described and represented in the followingspecification and the accompanying drawings," letters, figures, and references mensions in cross section, the longer blocks,

(L, a, 0;, being made about eight` inches in length, while the shorter blocks or those represented `at b, 6,5, are formed abouthalf the length `of the others. These" blocks are placed end upward and i are` arranged both transversely and longitudinally` so that the long and short blocks shall be arrangedalter- `nately in each direction or run as seen in the i drawings.` Such an arrangement of them leaves cells, or cavities, 0, c, o, between the said blocks, Veach of the said cells being bounded by four of the larger blocks and having its bottomA formed by one of the shorter blocks.` The upper surfaces of the long blocks when `thus placed together, present a checkered or tessellated appearance and they will exhibit the open space or cells `arranged together in a` similar manner. Into each of` these cells, a small quantity or1 larger of coarse salt may be put and the cells filled up with small broken stone or coarse gravel, the whole being firmly rammed so that the upper `surface of the mass in each cell shall be firm and level. Next mineral `or vegetable tar or pitch is to` be poured over the whole surface of the pavement and into the cells or cavities containing lthe broken stone or gravel so as to penetrate entirely between the pieces of stone or gravel, and cement them together.` The tar permeating into the squares containing `the `broken stone, will cause the masses of the `same to adhere firmly to the surrounding blocks, and will admit of expansion of the mass by the weight of the Wheels of carriages in passing over them; such expansion serving to fill up such space as might otherwise be made by shrinkage of the wooden blocks. Inorder t0 `prevent the blocks frombeing forced below one another, they may be pinned t together with wooden `pins extending from blockto block. y y

Instead of the broken stone and tar, `any other suitable cementing materials or cement may` be employed in the cells. I prefer however` common tar or `pitch and` gravel `orfbrolren stone, as such in practice hasbeen` found to operate togreat advantage, and 3to `be very durable in use and to present a lsurface over which it 1is very diliicult for a horses foot-to slip or Slide as it will on the ordinary wooden pavement when its surface is wet or covered withmud,l I The smallerblocks, b, b, se'rve` to uphold the masses of cement and stone in the cells,

and when such masses are compactedby any blows upon them` or the rolling ofwheels over them instead of being pressed down so` as to slide down between theblocls they are inadetotspread laterally and thereby completely close up the joints between the blocks and themselves and so as to prevent water from passing down into the joints between the blocks. will penetrate into the wood and aid in preserving it from decay:

' The earth upon which the pavement is to rest `may be prepared to receive the pave- As the salt will slowly melt it ment by covering its surface with tarred paperor other preventive to moisture being absorbed from the ground by thel wooden blocks. y

My invention may be carried out in another form, that is to say, the long blocks may be arranged side by side and in rows transversely of the roadway and with spaces about one inch in thickness between each two rows of them, `in each of which spaces, a strip of board may be introduced, `the width of the board being equal to about half the length of the block. These `boards being madeto rest on the surface of the 'ground createowith the rows of the blocks long cells or grooves extending transversely across the roadway, such cells or grooves being subsequently filled with broken stone or gravel, andtar or cement. I do not however considerthis method of carrying out my invention of so much value as the first on account of the broken stone and tar or cement not being arranged` between the blocks in longitudinal as well as transverse directions.

In order to prepare the earth of a roadway for the receptionof my improvedpavement, instead of employing Ytarred .paper 4as above described the upper surface of the roadway after being suitably graded may be covered with lime, mortar, or hydraulic cement, vwhich may belaid over it about two inches in thickness, or it may have a superstructure of flooring of cheap boardsv laid over it,-the pavement beingafterwards laid uponsuch'boards. 'l would remark-however that in view of the great durability of this pavement, (for the purpose of experiment, I have had some of it in use for six years on a road over which lthe vtravel has been very great,') such flooring would seem to be un-V necessary. Some of the advantages of my improved vpavement are to be yfound in the hold that it offers to the feetv of horses; in the little noise that is produced'by carriages in passing over it,the absence of noise resulting from the peculiar character of the materials of 'which the pavement is composed. This pavement is also very durable; its durability being occasioned by reason of the frictionof the travel over it being produced upon theslightly elastic extremities of the bers of the wooden blocks. Moisture is excluded from the wood by the materials employed for the support of the blocks, also bythe'prev'entives, also by the tarry covering Vwhich is placed over the top surface as hereinbefore described.

My pavement has the advantage of great cleanliness in comparison with most other pavements, because in the first place, as there Vis'very little wear of its upper surface, very channel shall have a wooden bottom'for the tar and gravel cement to rest on, whereby when the mass of tar and stone ineach cell is pressed down by the wheels of carriages it shall be prevented from being forced through the cavity and be caused tov be spread in laterall directions so as to maintain a firm and close joint between the adjacent blocks such as will operate to prevent water yfrom passing down between their joints.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my signature this twenty-ninth day of March A. D. 1854:.

SAMUEL NICOLSON.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.

[FIRST PRINTED' 1913.] 

